Insurance

Reverse Auctions – Tips for Successful Bidding

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Reverse auctions provide an excellent opportunity for increasing your business, particularly in the service sector. The website will notify you of projects posted on a reverse auction site in your area of expertise. You review and bid on those that interest you, and increase your business as you become more successful in your bidding.

To get started, register with selected reverse auction sites that cover the services you provide. Select all the categories you are interested in being notified about, and select the geographical areas that you cover. Most websites will notify you of new projects in your categories and locations. Some reverse auction websites offer the opportunity to include a description of your services, licensing, insurance, bonding, how long you’ve been in business and the like. Most, however, insist that you do not list your contact information, so you’ll need a user name that is different from your business name, and you won’t be able to list phone, e-mail or website address.

This prohibition on contact information stems from two basic causes: First, listing your contact information is an invitation to the customers to contact you directly and subject themselves to your sales pitch before they have had an opportunity to see what other offers the posting might bring out. Second, reverse auction websites normally charge a small fee for successful transactions, and if the business is completed off line, the website will see itself as being short-changed.

So how should you respond to a posting for something you are interested in bidding on? Several factors make for a successful approach.
– Study the posting carefully. Is there enough information for you to adequately bid? Are the size, quality, time frame, accessibility, and other factors clearly spelled out? Are there sketches or photographs to support the posting, so you can better visualize what the job entails?
— If there are details missing, request clarification from the customer. Use the site’s communication tools to tell him or her what you need to know, maybe giving examples of the type of thing required. For example, on a house painting job, maybe the customer didn’t specify the type of paint to use. Suggest your favorite brand and two or three grades for them to pick from. If the sizes aren’t clear, request the specifics you need. If the geographic area isn’t specified, request a zip code so that you know pretty closely where the job is located, assuming it’s a physical job.

– Be sure you check the complete content of the project listing. The contract you enter into is binding on both parties, so you want to be sure you understood everything that was required.

— The other side of this is that the person listing the job may not have included all the information required to do the job, even though the listing appears complete. Include in your bid what your drive-up charge is (again, for a physical job), so that, if the scope is larger than was described, you can describe to the customer how it’s different once you see it, and what the extra charge would be. If they decline, you will have told them what it costs to have you come out to the site and then go away without doing the work. As long as the scope of the work is significantly different than what was described, the contract won’t be valid, but you’ll still be compensated for the time and trouble to show up.

– Many reverse auctions involve programming, website development, editing, technical writing and such, that can be done without ever meeting the customer. In reviewing this type of contract, be sure that the details are clear, and that you ask for clarification you need before bidding. You can, as many suppliers of this type of work do, bid a scoping price, in which the specification and scope of the work will be detailed out in a preliminary contract. Once the full specification is available, you can then bid on the resulting specification.

— Keep an eye on what competitors are bidding, and how they are describing it. Generally you can go back in and modify your bid if you either discover through reviewing their bids that you missed some element of the project, or if they are undercutting your price just don’t allow yourself to become so competitive that you cause yourself a loss!

If you haven’t tried reverse auctions yet give it a whirl. For a few minutes spent registering with a few sites, you may get business opportunities you wouldn’t have seen without being registered. And, as your reputation and rating on the site build up, you will attract more business.

Current Account Focus The Santander 123

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Launched in March 2013, the Santander current account has been lauded by experts as the UK’s most generous current account in terms of customer rewards, according to The Daily Mail. If you are considering making the change to the Santander account, here’s what to expect in terms of risks and rewards.

The Santander account offers you cashback on purchases at a tiered system of 1-2-3. For example, the 1 stands for 1 percent cashback you receive when you use the Santander card to pay water and council tax bills. The 2 stands for 2 percent cash back on electricity and gas bills while the 3 percent stands for cashback on bills paid to mobile, home phone, broadband and on-demand television packages. You can set the account up as either a single or joint account based on your and your partner’s unique needs.

The 1-2-3 comes into play in another way. You also earn interest based on the amount of money you keep in the account on a monthly basis. For example, if you keep 1,000 or more in the Santander account, you earn 1 percent interest on this amount. If you carry a balance of 2,000 or more, you will earn 2 percent interest each month. When your funds exceed 20,000, you will earn 3 percent interest for your account balance, which is the maximum interest rate you can earn with the Santander account.

If you are curious if you could benefit from the Santander account, visit the company’s website at Santander.co.uk and go to the 123 Santander page. In the “What You Get” area, there is a cashback calculator. This allows you to put in your typical utility bill information to determine how much money you could get back. You also can view a list of utility providers to ensure your provider is a member of the cashback awards program.

The Fine Print

You must meet a few basic requirements to qualify for the Santander 123 card. For example, you must be older than age 18 and a permanent UK resident. In addition, you must keep a balance of at least 500 in your account and use at least two direct debits per month.

Remember that you will only earn the cashback rewards for the Santander 123 card if you have at least 1,000 in your account. If your balance drops below this amount, you will not get the cashback. To maximize the amount of interest you earn each month, follow this strategy: Keep as much money as you possibly can in your account for as many days as possible. To get the cashback rewards on your utility bills, they must be from direct debits. If you do choose to utilize direct debits, you may wish to set them all for the end of the month to maximize your interest.

You must pay a small fee to receive these benefits. The Santander card costs 2 each month to earn the cashback perks. Unlike some other cashback cards that pay once per year, the Santander card will pay cashback rewards on a monthly basis.

If the Santander 123 account does not appeal to you, but you wish to stay with the Santander company, you can choose its Everyday account, which does not offer cashback or charge a fee for holding the current account.

Making the Switch

Santander is a member of the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) that will switch your bank accounts within seven business days upon your request. The CASS system ensures you can switch your account in a hassle-free manner. If any details of the account do slip through the cracks, such as direct debits from the old account, the responsible bank must cover the costs associated with the error.

The Benefits Of Having Travel Insurance

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The best health care system in the world can be found in Canada and so Canadians are not as worried when it comes to getting sick in the future. It is alright if they do not consider this whilst at home but when they travel outside Canada then this becomes an issue. Considering that you might encounter unexpected illnesses or injury even in the United States, aside from financial hardship you will also encounter real emotional and psychological stress. As a lot of mature travelers would say, always see to it that you have enough comprehensive global health insurance before leaving Canada just in case.

Where to purchase insurance is something the readers want to know as well as when their health insurance is enough. Considering the people who might be traveling to the U.S.or Europe, it has been mentioned by the manager of Winnipeg’s major bank that although there are provisions for a comprehensive package at a reasonable cost there is nothing that can replace total health coverage.

If possible, another insurance package should be purchase to supplement these benefits when it comes to the older card members. Two major insurance companies recommend travel health insurance of at least $1 million, and both those companies scale the cost of their packages because their studies have shown that there are more claims from long stays and from people over 60. Certain costs only made it possible for a company to extend their maximum coverage to those between 60 and 65 and nothing beyond this.

Taking travelers into consideration, they can ask for help when looking for an insurance health plan. Your best bet will be an insurance agent when it comes to a comprehensive overview but for information on the larger companies, talk to a travel agent. One major insurance company bases its rates on age, those 60 and under and those 61 and over, and length of stay. A 10 day trip coverage would cost a person over 61 $17 while a single traveler under 60 will only need to pay an amount of $9.10.

Costing $23.50 for someone under 60 and $67 for someone over 61 is the same policy but this time for a 30 day trip. Respectively costing $95 and $220 is coverage for a 48 day trip. Rates continue to climb for longer periods away from home. A couple over 60 who planned to be away for two months would pay $540, or $270 per person, for a comprehensive health insurance package or $1,350, if they planned to extend their winter holiday to four months.

When it comes to a Winnipeg couple, they were able to bend the long term health insurance rates to their advantage. Two 60 day coverage plans are what they purchase instead of 120 day health packages for the four months they spend in the southern states every year. This well known insurance company also provides other options that are less expensive. From another company come substantially lower rates even if their scales depend on age as well. About $330 is how much a couple over 65 will need to pay for a sixty day coverage. Expect to receive a disclaimer when it comes to some insurance policies and this will mention how the contract will not be able to provide coverage for any medical condition which commenced prior to the effective date of the policy.

Offered by several companies is coverage designed to take effect after those from various credit card plans expire. Several companies will advise you to purchase enough insurance to last for the duration of the whole trip. Inexpensive plans are available from some companies and some of these do not consider age as a factor. For these kinds of plans, coverage is not always provided if a trip last over 60 days. There is a company that may be able to help you by giving a money saving tip that can help you offset the costs of health insurance for when you travel. Remember that the travel health premium can be included in medical expenses and included in your tax credit calculation for income tax purposes.

Five Crazy But Common Car Insurance Exclusions

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Five Crazy But Common Car Insurance Exclusions

You buy your car insurance, you glance at the policy documents, and you assume you’re covered for all eventualities where your car is stolen or damaged. Think again.

Read through your policy documents in detail. Some insurers don’t cover injuries to passengers aged over 75. Others won’t pay out if your car is stolen by someone who deceives you into handing over your keys. A small number won’t cover damage to your car that’s caused in a road rage incident. It’s common industry practice not to provide gap insurance, so if your car is written off or stolen, you won’t receive the full amount you paid when you bought your car.

Every car insurance policy includes some exclusions. Many of the exclusions would be extremely frustrating if they happened to you, and you then discovered that you’re not covered by your insurance firm. Some of them are downright crazy. Five of the most crazy but common car insurance exclusions are:

1. Nuclear Fallout
If Britain was wiped out by a nuclear bomb and you managed to survive, you wouldn’t receive a pay out from your insurer for the damage caused to your car. This is not only because the insurance firm will probably have been destroyed in the blast; it’s because it’s standard practice for motor insurance policies to exclude damage caused by nuclear fallout.

The same applies if your local nuclear power plant explodes and destroys your car, or if your car is contaminated by radioactive waste: you will not be compensated for the damage caused.

Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all the major motor insurance firms, including Admiral, Direct Line, Aviva, Churchill, Saga, Prudential, Sheila’s Wheels, and Co-operative Insurance to name a few.

2. UFOs
Most car insurance firms will not pay out if your car is damaged by pressure waves from aircraft travelling at or beyond the speed of sound. This includes damage caused by sonic and supersonic UFOs from outer space.

If you are zapped by an alien laser-beam while driving on the motorway, your insurance firm is unlikely to cover your injuries or the damage to your car. This is because such aggression would be considered an act of war. Car insurance firms usually exclude cover for damage caused by war, civil war, acts of a foreign enemy, or revolution.

Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all major car insurance firms, including Direct Line, Aviva, Admiral, Churchill, Saga, Prudential, Sheila’s Wheels, and LV=.

3. Car Stolen by Jealous Husband or Wife
Motor insurers will not provide cover if your car is taken without your permission by any member of your household or family. This includes your spouse or partner, your children, your parents or a lodger in your home. The only exception to this rule is if you report your car as stolen to the police, and prosecute the person who took your car in court.

Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all major motor insurance firms, including Direct Line, Admiral, Co-operative Insurance, Sheila’s Wheels, and LV=.

4. Earthquakes
Fortunately for us Brits, the UK is not prone to earthquakes or tremors. However, were the worst to happen and the ground opened up and swallowed your car, or even if a less violent earthquake shattered your windscreen, it’s probable that your insurer would refuse to pay out.

A small but significant number of car insurance firms do not cover for damage caused by earthquakes. Admiral is the most notable insurer with this exception. Other insurers who refuse cover for earthquakes include Saga, Prudential, and Sheila’s Wheels.

As well as looking out for earthquakes, remember to check your insurance policy documents for the phrase “acts of God”. Sheila’s Wheels breakdown service, for example, cannot be held liable if they leave you stranded by the roadside because of an “act of God”.

5. Blind Drivers
Unsurprisingly, there is not a single insurance firm who will provide cover for drivers who can’t see. This is never stated explicitly in insurance policy documents, but insurance companies cover their backs by saying they won’t pay out for claims resulting from damage caused by “unlicensed drivers”.

Being unable to get insurance or a licence wasn’t enough to stop one blind person from getting behind the steering wheel. In 2006, 31-year-old Omed Aziz was banned from driving for three years and given a suspended jail sentence after police caught him driving on the wrong side of the road.

This exclusion seems to apply to policies bought from almost all motor insurance firms.

How do you make sure you’ve got the best possible insurance cover for your car? Firstly, don’t just choose a policy based on price. Research what’s covered and what’s excluded by each company you’re considering. Secondly, if the level of cover you want isn’t available from standard car insurance firms, consider taking out extra insurance, such as gap insurance, from a specialist insurer.

Car insurance exclusions are usually not that hard to find, you just need to have a look at the rarely-read policy documents.

To be sure you’re not hit by a nasty surprise when you need to make a claim, make some time to read through policy documents when choosing your car insurance. Most insurance firms make their policy documents available online as a free download.

Getting Into The Business Of Kettle Corn

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Kettle corn is not caramel corn; it’s not like Cracker Jacks, and it isn’t like cheese popcorn or other “flavored” assortments. Kettle Corn is Definitely different; there is nothing unusual added to it like MSG; it’s how you integrate all the ingredients which gives it that yummy taste. Although the standard ingredients of kettle corn are similar: oil, popcorn, salt and sugar, the ratio of sugar to salt and the oil itself make the difference between something that’s so-so and something that will compel your buyers to keep coming back time and time again.

You’ll need to arrange an inspection from the health department; which is normallyaffordable, but you will discover that the requirements are unique for each area. Some towns or counties might need you to have special items, which will increase the total of money you require to lay out up front. Some of the extra equipment can be a sink or sinks (to wash everything from your hands to utensils) and a pressurized water tank with a heat source.

In some counties around the country, a state license may be necessary (often at times called a “Transient Vendor License) before you can set up shop– and, before you can get this paper work (which may be something apparently unrelated to your venture) you may be obligated to get some liability insurance. The purpose of this insurance is to cover yourself should a client or employee hurt themselves on your “property”. Even if your state doesn’t require this insurance, the event may require everyone to have it, although some places that have their act together (some of the larger weekly fairs or farmers markets, to name a few) will have their own coverage.

Once you’ve nailed down all the essential paperwork for licenses and permits, you’ll want to locate events in which you’ll be able to sell your product. Bigger doesn’t always mean better; huge locations will want more payment for the spot since larger crowds of people tend to increase the set-up price. However, tinier venues such as local weekly farmers markets and larger arts and crafts fairs can end up being rather lucarative. These events require less per square foot and seldom have more than one seller for each niche product, since their essential concern is selling fresh local produce. Having something unusual such as kettle corn, however, can be a big draw for customers. The sound and smell of fresh kettle corn has forced many individuals to investigate at these events; it’s very unusual once these mass taste your kettle corn, they’ll be hooked like addicts.

A kettle corn business, unlike some other business, your initial costs are comparatively small, particularly when you understand the potentiality for earnings.

After you’ve set yourself up with your kettle, bin, tanks of propane and a tent or kiosk, you’ll be surprised at your profit-expense margin. This is not saying that running a kettle corn business is easy money– you have to work at it. The physical act of setting up all the equipment and the sustained stirring and bagging– often under extremes of weather– will definitely tire you out by the time you’re finished. After popping like crazy for most of the day, when you include in the time spent setting up, cleaning up and traveling, it can add up to a long exhausting day.

On the plus side, you’re the one in charge– breathing down you neck and giving you orders. The “downside” is you’re doing everything– preparing, transporting, keeping the books, (though you should have an accountant when tax time comes) and you have to do some PR, as well. This is a whole other area of owning a kettle corn business, which has its own particular prerequisites, including visits from the local health inspector and, of course, figuring out your prices and the retailer’s cut. For retail, labeling is required–you need to list ingredients, contact information in some cases you may also need an expiration date.

As with any business start-up, you’ll discover many paths to take, but your efforts will be repaid once you realize the profits and popularity of your kettle corn– and you did it all yourself!